Clarity about the recent Superhost criteria change

[Airbnb]

We’ve noticed a lot of discussion lately about the updated Superhost criteria, so we wanted to explain why we made this update.

The Superhost program recognizes the best and most iconic hosts on Airbnb. Since it began, in order to be a Superhost you had to meet several criteria. You had to host at least 10 stays per year, you had to have zero cancellations (except for extenuating circumstances), you had to respond to 90% of the messages you received within 24 hours, and 80% of your ratings had to be 5 stars.

The first 3 criteria are staying the same, but beginning in July, instead of needing 80% 5-star reviews, Superhosts will now need an average review score of 4.8.

There are several reasons why we decided to make this change. First and foremost, because it’s simpler and easier to understand. One of the top pieces of feedback we received about the old program criteria was that guests couldn’t intuitively understand what it took to be a  Superhost. By making the change from 80% 5-star reviews to an overall rating of 4.8, guests can more easily understand what it means to be a Superhost. Additionally, switching to an overall rating of 4.8 stars also brings consistency across our new programs like Collections and Plus, which require a 4.8 overall rating as well as several other criteria.

In looking at recent data, we estimate that between 90% to 95% of our Superhosts are going to have no problem qualifying for the Superhost program under the new criteria. Ultimately, it’s our goal to have as many Superhosts as possible and have all hosts provide amazing guest experiences worthy of stellar reviews. Our plan is to continue to closely monitor how these standards impact the Superhost program and evolve them based on what’s working and what isn’t. We truly appreciate the feedback you’ve provided so far and we look forward to working with you to bring further clarity and consistency to the program.

[Karol25]

Absolutely agree with the many hosts voicing their grievances regarding the new system.  It is almost impossible to maintain.  This new system is ludicrous, and its explanation is a blatant disrespect to every host that you as an organization work with symbiotically.   

[Sharon404]

That is not true. I had two guests this winter who were clearly doing something shady. Not only I but two other hosts reported them. They didnt even spend the night at my house and left for no reason. I was told their review would not be attributed BUT I found that she rated me all 1s and I was told be Airbnb that there is nothing they can do about the star ratings. So one crappy guest can get you booted off Superhost.

[Anthony393]

Dear Airbnb officianados. 

Its clear - you’ve made a HUGE mistake with these changes I am afraid to say. Mucking around with your host will mean we fall out with you. Some advice - have a good look at it and change it back.  

[Olwen3]

Huge mistake! One bad review and your super host status is gone. There will always be some disgruntled guests who cannot be satisfied who can ruin your status permanently. Who came up with this disastrous idea? 

[Ellie73]

I have been a super host for 2 years, then had a guest destroy my house and smoked drugs, when I reported this he left a 1 star review, this cant be fair 😞

[Marcus2]

I quite agree that if a guest damages your property/ is late check out then they should not be able to review you.

also if your property gets damaged Airbnb should let you leave photos of the damage/ mess on the review for them.

[Theodore10]

I have over 200 reviews with a 4.9 average rating and have been a Super Host for over 3 years.  I think that any time a guest Damages or Steals things from the property that guest's review should be removed and not counted toward determining Super Host Status.  Unless there is really bad Damage or there is Theft I rarely contact the guest for reimbursement because I don't want to lose my Super Host status by them leaving a bad review.  Guests constantly break many of our rules and most of the time I don't say anything for fear of retaliation.  The 4.8 average rating is almost impossible to achieve if you charge the guests for everything they break or for breaking the rules.  Airbnb needs to be a little more lenient with us Super Hosts, not less lenient.  Hosts that try hard will just give up if the standard is too hard to achieve.  If you can please 75% of your guests all of the time you're doing great!

[Denny20]

This has to be the most stupid thing ever! I work my ass off become a superhost! Do you know how **bleep**ing impossible it is to boost your overall? Who made this decision? What hosts voted on this system? I got like 86% 5 stars like 5 of my other ratings are lower then 5 stars. Literally 5 guest gave me below 5 star ratings out of 100 plus people I have hosted. The rating system only exists to torcher hosts, when I get 10 five star ratings in a row the **bleep** doesn't budge but if I get a 4 or 3 star rating all of a sudden I'm dirt to Airbnb. Don't sit here and pretend like you cannot be replaced by the next app! You are not the only company that offers these services! You are **bleep**ing around with good people! I am not going to sit on my hands while you treat me and everyone else like slaves! I will make 1 min clip exposing this stupidity and pay for the promotion on IG and Facebook. This will not end good for you, I promise.

[Nikolas19]

So really dissspointed wither new super host rules. 

So much hard work is being thrown away for a decision taken for not understandable reasons. 

I kind of loose my trust ...

Very unfair 

[Suhas0]

Can you believe that my 'overall rating' is barely touching 4.8, despite having 5* in other places. I got 4.8 in only location , a LOCATION THAT GUESTS SHOULD ALREADY KNOW WHILE CHECKING IN. Why should they penalize me for not having train station next to my house? Its clear in my description that train station is 1 mile away, its clear in my shared location. Yet, I get this.

4.8* in itself isn't bad, but why should it drag down my overall rating down to 4.8?????
It seems airbnb is making it look like given 4* is a bad thing, overall 4.8 is a bad thing. Is AIRBNB dead? maybe its 0.2 alive and 4.8 dead. Time to rate the airbnb app on the appstore!

[Jacquie24]

Seems to me airbnb are having to pay out on too many superhost rewards and this is a way to cut back on spending! 

[Joel211]

This is simply not on. I was left one duff review by three students whom, had I known how they would behave, would never have been invited to stay in the first place whether they had left a good review or not. Under the new system I would lose this superhost status for what ? Three people who were dishonest, disrespectful, uncommunicative, left my house like **bleep**, broke stuff, stained the carpet and so on.

The trend towards favouring travellers over hosts is completely unacceptable. Travellers at the most risk coming to a place that they don’t like and maybe not having a place that they regard as good as enough. As a host I risk over £1,000,000 worth of property, never mind the contents, to essentially complete strangers. The risk is weighted far, far more heavily on the host and it’s about time you started treating us better. Essentially I can be damned by someone on their first Airbnb trip despite having hosted at least 150 sets of guests with largely incredibly positive comments.  That is not fair in any shape or form and it’s definitely going to make me think twice about taking students ( in my experience the worst of the lot ), people with no reviews to their name or people from places who have outdated and thoroughly disrespectful ideas of how someone’s personal space should be cared for.

The result is that I will back off from being so accommodating and Airbnb will lose money. The situation where the traveller is treated like God was happening before this frankly offensive change and I’ve met more than one superhost who’ve had their status stripped under very dubious circumstances. The risks I take opening my places to people who don’t ‘get it’ may cease pretty **bleep** quickly if you don’t re-evaluate the whole situation. Is that clear enough ? Joel Bradley (soon to be ex) Superhost. 

[Dany54]

Dear Airbnb.

I agree with the previous comments and I find that most people do. So we don't think this change is good for us. I don't believe you're being fair in changing the requiremetns for superhost and raising the ratings needed since as it was mentioned in multiple comments before, anything below a 5 star rating will bring your average down. I currently have a 4.9 average, I've hosted over 300 people and I used to have a 5.0 average, so all it took was a couple of 4 star reviews to bring my average down and the guests that rated me 4 stars told me that they were very happy staying at my place and that they would love to come back and recommend me, HOWEVER, they only awarded 5 stars to exceptionally great places, so there are some guests that don't rate 5 stars easily and pleasing them is very hard so it only takes a few people like to bring down your average and I don't think that's very fair. I believe your rating system and how you calculate averages has never been really well explained, I think if you want to make things clearer for both guests and hosts, this is not the way.

[Luc8]

This is a really bad idea.  A single disgrunted guest would ruin years of good work.  We had some really difficult guests, including one that got hit by a schisophrenic crisis while living in our home.  We actually have a girl who is expecting the temperature inside AND outside to be 75 degrees, anything else is a problem for her.  If that guest decide to set a 1 star, it not only punishes our business gravely, it also remove all credibility to the great ratings we get from 99% of our guests.  This very bad.  The marketing person who pushed that idea in meetings should be let go...  

[Chawe0]

Dear Airbnb

I agree with all the comments above.

 I think too much pressure is being put on Hosts and nothing on guests.

 I had a guest who wanted to check in early and  I told them it was not possible. Because she was a return visitor she showed up early without my permission and  spoke to  my staff to let her leave her stuff . 

 I expressed my disappointment to her and told her she isn't allowed to do that .

Because  I pointed out a wrong she rated me poor for communication.

 This must not be accepted 

In fact there  should also be a criteria for super guests as well 

 As was explained everything we need  have been doing we have to do more and yet the rating has gone up .

 This is indeed not fair.

 I am one of the  few suprrhosts in Lusaka  and yet my properties are not in the top 10 listings. Yet it says suprrhosts have priority listing.

 I think we are getting a  raw deal.